Paper trimmer or the like



Jan. 20, 1942.

P. PORCELLI PAPER TRIMMER OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet1 In ventor fr/ci Force/h,

By 2mm.

Attorney Jan. 20, 1942. P. PORCELLI 2,270,473

PAPER TRIMMER OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ventora 77/624 orc e //l Ba pwmah A iiomey Patented Jan. 20, 1942 PAPER.TRIMMER OR THE LIKE Patrick Porcelli, Chicago. Ill.

Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,749

I 8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in paper trimmers or the like, andparticularly to a safety attachment for the knife or blade of thetrimmer or the like, and the primary object of my invention is toprovide an arrangement of this character which not only positivelyoperates toward more efficient and accurate cutting and trimming of thepaper or the like, but acts as a clamp to prevent displacement of thepaper on the board as the knife or blade passes from an open positionthrough the cutting position and therebeyond, while at the same timeacting to protect the edge of the knife or blade.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom a reading-of the following description taken in connection with thedrawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferredembodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of an arrangement inaccordance with the present invention showing the blade or knife in openposition.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the knife or bladeafter having passed from the open position through the cutting positionand therebeyond.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewtaken through the blade or knife and the adjacent portion of the board.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesa conventional type of trimmer or cutter board which is adapted to reston a supporting surface 6, the said board having a bracket 1 adjacentone corner thereof carrying a right angularly extending bolt 8 on whichthe adjacent end of the knife which is generally designated 9 ispivoted, the blade portion of the knife being beveled as indicated bythe numeral I to provide the cutting edge I! and the working face I2.which works along the adjacent edge I3 of the table as illustrated inFigure 4, and other portion of the knife terminating at its free end ina suitable handle 14, all of which is substantially conventional in formand arrangement within the meaning of the present invention. As is wellknown, a single sheet or the stack of sheets of cardboard, paper or thelike which are to be trimmed or out are laid on the table 5 with thatportion thereof to be severed overlying the edge l3 with the knife inthe upraised open position illustrated in Figure 1. To perform thecutting operation the handle I4 is grasped by the operator and the knifeswung downwardly so as to shear the paper or the like along the tableedge I3 between the table edge and the cutting edge of the knife.

In accordance with the present invention, the knife 9 is modified by theprovision of a stud bolt I5 threaded thereinto at an intermediate pointof the inner side of the blade portion, with the, smooth part of thebolt traversing a vertically elongated slot l6 formed in a combinedblade guard and clamping member which is generally designated l1, theshank of the bolt having a washer I8 held in place against the side ofthe member I! by the head 19 on the said stud bolt.

The vertically elongated slot I6 is located intermediate the ends of themember I! which comprises an elongated generally rectangular crosssection block of suitable material similar to or of wood which has thelower part of the inner face thereof beveled as indicated by the numeral20 so as to present a reduced squared lower edge 2| upon the top of thetable 5 immediately adjacent the blade portion of the knife 9 asillustrated in Figure 4, the meeting faces of the knife portion and ofthe member I! having substantial mutual engagement, so that relativemovement of the knife and the element I! takes place with themsubstantially in contact.

An anchor 22 at one side of the member I1.

and adjacent the lower edge of the knife has stretched between it and ananchor 23 on the upper part of the adjacent end of the member I! ahelical contractile spring 24 whose office is to depress the member I!to a position below the lower edge ll of the blade portion of the knife.Another contractile spring 25 is similarly stretched between thementioned pivot bolt 8 at the inner side of the member I1 and anotheranchor 26 on the inner sideof the upper part of the adjacent end portionof the member H, these springs acting in concert to yieldably press themember I! to a normal position depressed below the cutting edge H of theblade portion of the knife.

The lower edge 2| of the member H is longitudinally outwardly andupwardly bowed or curved as indicated by the numeral 21, while theremaining portion of this edge is less greatly curved as indicated bythe numeral 28, the curvatures being determined by the swing of theknife and its mounting, so that the lower edge 2| of the member I! willin effect engage the forward edge of the stack of paper or the like tobe cut and roll rearwardly along the top of the stack,

at the same time that the member I1 is yielding upwardly against theresistance of the springs 24 and 25, so that the knife comes intocutting position with the stack of papers clamped down upon the board ortable 5 by the member I1, and the stack remains so clamped as the knifemoves beyond the cutting position to that illustrated in Figure 4. Asthe knife is elevated out of the position shown in Figure 4 the edge llof the blade portion of the knife can substantially clear the top of theboard before the member I! releases its clamping engagement with thestack of paper or the like, so that the stack is spared any disturbingcontact by the knife in its movement toward open position and the stackis left in place for subsequent cutting operations.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not desire to limit theapplication of the invention to the precise structural and functionalarrangements set forth, except as may be required by the scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a paper cutter or the like, a table on which the paper or the likeis laid, said table having a straight edge along which the cut is to bemade, a vertically swingable knife having one end pivoted on said table,the lower edge of said knife being its cutting edge, said knife beingarranged to swing downwardly from a raised position into and belowshearing relation with said straight edge, a combined paper clamp andknife edge guard, said guard comprising a block lying along the innerside of said knife, securing means mounting said guard on said knife forvertical and rocking movements relative to said knife, said securingmeans comprising a headed stud anchored to project laterally from anintermediate point on the inner side of said knife, a vertical slotformed in said block through which said stud extends with its headbearing against the inner side of the block and spring means normallyyieldably depressing said block with respect to the knife so as to causea lower portion thereof to depend below the cutting edge of said knife,the lower edge of said block having a substantial rocker curvature ascompared to the cutting edge of the knife.

2. A paper cutter or the like in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidsecuring means is located intermediate the ends of both said block andsaid knife with elements of said spring means effectively connected withopposite ends of said block, one of said elements of said spring meansconsisting of a first helical spring stretched between an adjacentportion of said table and the adjacent end of said block and theremaining spring element consisting of a second helical spring stretchedbetween the opposite end of said block and a relatively depressed parton said knife.

3. A paper cutter or the like in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidsecuring means is located intermediate the ends of both said block andsaid knife with elements of said spring means effectively connected withopposite ends of said block, the lower edge of said block beinglongitudinally curved to rock upon and clamp the paper or the like onthe table as the knife is swung downwardly from an elevated openposiinvention, what is tion through and beyond shearing relation withsaid straight edge.

4. A paper cutter or the like in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidsecuring means is located intermediate the ends of both said block andsaid knife with elements of said spring means effectively connected withopposite ends of said block, the lower edge of said block beinglongitudinally curved to rock upon and. clamp the paper or the like onthe table as the knife is swung downwardly from an elevated openposition through and beyond shearing relation with said straight edge,said securing means permitting sufficient movement of said blockrelative to said knife to permit said block to retain clampingengagement with paper or the like on said table as the knife is elevatedbeyond shearing position and is moved partly'toward open position.

5. A cutter for paper or the like, said cutter comprising a support uponwhich the paper is laid, said support having a straight shearing edge, abracket on said support projecting beyond said support in longitudinalextension of said straight edege, a vertically swingable knife whoselower edge is its cutting edge, said knife having one end thereofpivoted to said bracket and arranged to be swung to bring its cuttingedge into and out of shearing relation with said straight edge, a paperclamping rocker having a longitudinally rocker curved lower edge topress upon the paper on said support while said knife is in intermediateand depressed positions, a pivotal and sliding connection securing saidblock on the inner side of said knife and enabling said block to rockand rise and subside along the inner side of the knife, said connectionpermitting said block to subside to a position in which its lower edgeis substantially below the cutting edge of the knife and to rise to aposition in which the lower edge of the block is substantially above thecutting edge of the knife, a first spring operating between said bracketand the forward end of said block for yieldably depressing the forwardend of the block, a second spring operating between the rear end of saidblock and the knife for yieldably depressing the rear end of the block,said springs being operative to engage the forward end of the curvedlower edge of said block with the paper on'the support in advance ofother portions of the rocker edge as the knife is swung downwardly fromopen position toward closed cutting position and successively rearwardportions of the rocker edge are pressed upon the paper and the tensionof the springs increases toward closed position of the knife.

6. A cutter according to claim 5 wherein the upward curvature of therocker edge of said block is relatively great adjacent the forward endof the block.

'7. A cutter according to claim 5 wherein the upward curvature of therocker edge of said block is relatively great adjacent the forward endof the block and. relatively less adjacent the rear end of said block.

8. A cutter according to claim 5 wherein said first and. second springsare helical in form and stretched between the bracket and the forwardend of the block and between the rear end of said block and the knife,respectively.

PATRICK PORCELLI.

